My Thoughts on "The Voice New Testament"

I’ve recently signed up with BookSneeze from Thomas Nelson. This is a really neat program that allows bloggers to receive free or advance copies of books in exchange for a review posted on their blog and a retail site. When I first heard of this I was skeptical that I could make it work. I blog sporadically at best (which you’ve noticed if you read either of the blogs I write) and not only am I a full time student, but a mom, I work out of the home, and I’m actively involved in my church. Hmmm, was this possible? I read a little more and decided to give it a shot! Here goes…

The first book I have received is, “The Voice New Testament.” It is a new translation that was undertaken by Thomas Nelson Publishers and Ecclesia Bible Society. It presents the New Testament in a screenplay format, with explanations of certain texts and also provides italic type to give explanations of parts which would have been clear to the original recipients. The Voice was put together by not only Biblical scholars, but writers, musicians, and other artists to retell the Bible in a new way. I would not call this a Study Bible, but simply a new tool to use when reading the Bible.

When I received this title I was not sure what to expect. Therefore Ispent a lot of time not only reading the text, but comparing to other translations and study materials I have in order to see that Biblical Truth was presented. It definitely was. The Voice was very easy and enjoyable to read. The screenplay format it makes it very easy for someone unfamiliar with the New Testament to clearly understand who is speaking and who they are speaking to. I know for some people who are first reading the Bible that can be confusing. While it was a very good read, I could not recommend that this be the only Bible someone would have or use. When studying the Bible you need more than just a good story, you need the meat of Scripture. The message is there, but because of the presentation it is more of a casual read than a true study tool. I would definitely recommend this Bible to anyone. I would just recommend that they have a good Study Bible at hand as well.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Definitely not a scam! This was my first book, but there was no deadline I had to post by, just that I post a truthful review based on what I thought, positive or negative. That I post it on a retail site, and that I provide the link on the BookSneeze site. Very cool! There aren’t always books available, but you don’t have to take one if you don’t want to when they are. So far Loving the program! Thanks for reading this and good luck if you do decide to participate, I think you’ll like it! Who doesn’t like free books right?